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1960 Map of Pekin

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Pekin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

The industrial and riverine character of Pekin is defined by the broad Illinois River corridor as it looked in the early 1960s. This survey by John C. Frye and the Geological Survey Division reveals a landscape shaped by water and heavy transit, where the main channel is flanked by extensive water bodies like Worley Lake and Pekin Lake. To the west, the winding Lamarsh Creek and the Mackinaw River snake through the bottomlands near Mapleton, while the eastern bank is dominated by the grid of Pekin, featuring numerous neighborhood schools such as Roosevelt Sch and Edison Sch.

The map details the complex rail infrastructure of the era, including the Toledo Peoria and Western and Illinois Central lines that served regional industry. Settling tanks and ponds near Powerton indicate the heavy industrial footprint along the river, while several rural cemeteries such as Maple Ridge Cem and Hollis Cem provide valuable touchpoints for genealogists researching family plots in the Hollis and Cincinnati townships.